Famous actors from Utah
Admiring and envying the world's biggest stars is easy to do on Instagram. From A-list movie stars and major musicians to pro ball players and comedians who landed their own sitcoms, there's no shortage of evidence of just how good the good life is. They post pictures of themselves with other big shots on rooftop bars, at exclusive clubs, at backstage parties, and at restaurants where regular people can't get a reservation.
But the vast majority of these celebrities were born and raised outside of Hollywood, finding their way to the bright lights and big money of superstardom from obscure beginnings in regular small towns or cities across the country.
Stacker compiled a list of actors that were born in Utah from IMDb's most popular list. For each actor, we included a movie poster image from a film he is known for (all movie poster images from OMDb). Keep reading to see which favorite actors are from your home state.
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Wilford Brimley
- Born: Salt Lake City, Utah (9/27/1934)
- Died: 8/1/2020
- Known for:
--- Pop Fisher in "The Natural" (1984)
--- Dr. Blair in "The Thing" (1982)
--- Frank Brackett in "In & Out" (1997)
James Woods
- Born: Vernal, Utah (4/18/1947)
- Known for:
--- Jack Crow in "Vampires" (1998)
--- Hades in "Hercules" (1997)
--- Mr. Lisbon in "The Virgin Suicides" (1999)
Matthew Davis
- Born: Salt Lake City, Utah (5/8/1978)
- Known for:
--- Warner in "Legally Blonde" (2001)
--- Sebastian in "BloodRayne" (2005)
--- Matt Tollman in "Blue Crush" (2002)
Patrick Fugit
- Born: Salt Lake City, Utah (10/27/1982)
- Known for:
--- William Miller in "Almost Famous" (2000)
--- Officer James Gilpin in "Gone Girl" (2014)
--- Zia in "Wristcutters: A Love Story" (2006)
Jared Rushton
- Born: Provo, Utah (3/3/1974)
- Known for:
--- Billy in "Big" (1988)
--- Ron Thompson in "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" (1989)
--- Charlie Proffitt in "Overboard" (1987)
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Whit Hertford
- Born: Provo, Utah (11/2/1978)
- Known for:
--- Volunteer Boy in "Jurassic Park" (1993)
--- Jacob in "A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child" (1989)
--- Jesse Darden in "The Perfect 46" (2014)
Gavin Lewis
- Born: Utah (10/27/2003)
- Known for:
--- Moody Richardson in "Little Fires Everywhere" (2020)
--- Wyatt in "Old Henry" (2021)
--- Prince Emil in "Prince of Peoria" (2018-2019)
Gedde Watanabe
- Born: Ogden, Utah (6/26/1955)
- Known for:
--- Long Duk Dong in "Sixteen Candles" (1984)
--- Kuni in "UHF" (1989)
--- Mr. Katsuji in "Gremlins 2: The New Batch" (1990)
Colby Strong
- Born: Salt Lake City, Utah (3/8/1994)
- Known for:
--- Cory in "The Sex Lives of College Girls" (2021)
--- Rory in "The Prank"
--- Blaze in "Power Rangers Beast Morphers" (2019-2020)
Parley Baer
- Born: Salt Lake City, Utah (8/5/1914)
- Died: 11/22/2002
- Known for:
--- Grandpa Anderson in "License to Drive" (1988)
--- Charles 'Charlie' Bosworth in "A Fever in the Blood" (1961)
--- Senate Majority Leader in "Dave" (1993)
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Bryan Dechart
- Born: Salt Lake City, Utah (3/17/1987)
- Known for:
--- Connor in "Detroit: Become Human" (2018)
--- Dan in "The Remaining" (2014)
--- Taylor Chase in "Dakota's Summer" (2014)
Trevor Snarr
- Born: Salt Lake City, Utah (4/29/1978)
- Known for:
--- Don in "Napoleon Dynamite" 2004
Victor DiMattia
- Born: Salt Lake City, Utah (12/1/1980)
- Known for:
--- Timmy Timmons in "The Sandlot" (1993)
--- Tommy in "Cool as Ice" (1991)
--- Dennis Mitchell in "Dennis the Menace" (1987)
Mike Lookinland
- Born: Mount Pleasant, Utah (12/19/1960)
- Known for:
--- Bobby Brady in "The Brady Bunch" (1969-1974)
--- Bobby Brady in "The Brady Bunch Variety Hour" (1976-1977)
--- Camera and Electrical Department in "The Way of the Gun" (2000)
James Morrison
- Born: Bountiful, Utah (4/21/1954)
- Known for:
--- Bill Buchanan in "24" (2005-2009)
--- Warden Dwight Murphy in "Twin Peaks" (2017)
--- Producer in "Showing Up" (2014)
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Robert Walker
- Born: Salt Lake City, Utah (10/13/1918)
- Died: 8/28/1951
- Known for:
--- Bruno Antony in "Strangers on a Train" (1951)
--- Jimmy Dobson in "Her Highness and the Bellboy" (1945)
--- Corporal Joe Allen in "The Clock" (1945)
Corbin Allred
- Born: Salt Lake City, Utah (5/25/1979)
- Known for:
--- Steve Beauchamp in "Teen Angel" (1997-1998)
--- Young Lad in "Robin Hood: Men in Tights" (1993)
--- Elder Tuttle in "The Saratov Approach" (2013)
K.C. Clyde
- Born: Salt Lake City, Utah (5/2/1980)
- Known for:
--- County Attorney Randy in "Yellowstone" (2020-2021)
--- Max in "Everybody Loves Somebody" (2017)
--- Ben in "Diablo Guardián" (2018)
Robert Adamson
- Born: Salt Lake City, Utah (7/11/1985)
- Known for:
--- College Kid at Party in "It's Complicated" (2009)
--- Phil Sanders in "Hollywood Heights" (2012)
--- Producer in "Jimmy" (2015)
Merlin Olsen
- Born: Logan, Utah (9/15/1940)
- Died: 3/11/2010
- Known for:
--- Benton in "Mitchell" (1975)
--- Little George in "The Undefeated" (1969)
--- Buddy Landau in "Fathers and Sons" (1986)
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Donny Osmond
- Born: Ogden, Utah (12/9/1957)
- Known for:
--- Shang in "Mulan" (1998)
--- Joseph in "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" (1999)
--- Producer in "Donny and Marie" (1975-1979)
Anthony Geary
- Born: Coalville, Utah (5/29/1947)
- Known for:
--- Luke Spencer in "General Hospital" (1978-2018)
--- Philo in "UHF" (1989)
--- Van Man in "Fish Tank" (2009)
Charles Halford
- Born: Salt Lake City, Utah (2/28/1980)
- Known for:
--- Chas Chandler in "Constantine" (2014-2015)
--- Reggie Ledoux in "True Detective" (2014)
--- Nate in "Rectify" (2016)
Robbie Fairchild
- Born: Salt Lake City, Utah (6/9/1988)
- Known for:
--- Munkustrap in "Cats" (2019)
--- Actor in "In This Life" (2019)
--- Jerry Mulligan in "An American in Paris - The Musical" (2018)
T.J. Lowther
- Born: Salt Lake City, Utah (5/17/1986)
- Known for:
--- Phillip Perry in "A Perfect World" (1993)
--- Craig Lacey in "A Home of Our Own" (1993)
--- Intern Hank in "Grey's Anatomy" (2009)
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Sam Melville
- Born: Fillmore, Utah (8/20/1936)
- Died: 3/9/1989
- Known for:
--- Bear in "Big Wednesday" (1978)
--- Dr. David Kenfield in "Dallas" (1986)
--- Dave in "The Thomas Crown Affair" (1968)
Paul Langton
- Born: Salt Lake City, Utah (4/17/1913)
- Died: 4/15/1980
- Known for:
--- Doctor in "The Twilight Zone" (1959-1963)
--- Dr. Frank Parrish in "The Snow Creature" (1954)
--- Johnny Coulter in "For You I Die" (1947)
Will Swenson
- Born: Provo, Utah (10/26/1972)
- Known for:
--- Will Jensen in "Sons of Provo" (2004)
--- Actor on Stage in "The Switch" (2010)
--- Philo Barnum in "The Greatest Showman" (2017)
Tony Anselmo
- Born: Salt Lake City, Utah (2/18/1960)
- Known for:
--- Donald Duck in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" (1988)
--- Donald Duck in "DuckTales" (2017-2021)
--- Donald Duck in "Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers" (2004)
Richard Harrison
- Born: Salt Lake City, Utah (5/26/1935)
- Known for:
--- Bob Fleming in "Secret Agent Fireball" (1965)
--- Mathews - CIA agent in "Terror Force Commando" (1986)
--- Glaucus in "Messalina vs. the Son of Hercules" (1964)
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R.D. Call
- Born: Ogden, Utah (2/16/1950)
- Died: 2/27/2020
- Known for:
--- Jack McCool in "Last Man Standing" (1996)
--- Rusty Baines in "Colors" (1988)
--- Enforcer in "Waterworld" (1995)
Byron Foulger
- Born: Ogden, Utah (8/27/1899)
- Died: 4/4/1970
- Known for:
--- Mr. Valdelle in "Sullivan's Travels" (1941)
--- Dr. Bassett in "The Man with Nine Lives" (1940)
--- Prof. Elwood Henderson in "The Master Key" (1945)
Keene Curtis
- Born: Salt Lake City, Utah (2/15/1923)
- Died: 10/13/2002
- Known for:
--- Gus Hale in "Sliver" (1993)
--- Ernest Littlefield in "Stargate SG-1" (1997-1999)
--- Oppenheim in "Heaven Can Wait" (1978)
Joseph Kearns
- Born: Salt Lake City, Utah (2/12/1907)
- Died: 2/17/1962
- Known for:
--- Doorknob in "Alice in Wonderland" (1951)
--- George Wilson in "Dennis the Menace" (1959-1962)
--- Lloyd Burke in "Anatomy of a Murder" (1959)
Kevin Brophy
- Born: Salt Lake City, Utah (11/1/1953)
- Known for:
--- Peter in "Hell Night" (1981)
--- John Younger in "The Long Riders" (1980)
--- Lucan in "Lucan" (1977-1978)
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Moroni Olsen
- Born: Ogden, Utah (6/27/1889)
- Died: 11/22/1954
- Known for:
--- Walter Beardsley in "Notorious" (1946)
--- Inspector Peterson in "Mildred Pierce" (1945)
--- Herbert Dunstan in "Father of the Bride" (1950)
John Gilbert
- Born: Logan, Utah (7/10/1897)
- Died: 1/9/1936
- Known for:
--- Vronsky in "Love" (1927)
--- Karl Schneider in "Downstairs" (1932)
--- Leo von Harden in "Flesh and the Devil" (1926)
Riley Griffiths
- Born: Cedar City, Utah (5/14/1997)
- Known for:
--- Charles Kaznyk in "Super 8" (2011)
--- Willie in "R.L. Stine's the Haunting Hour" (2011)
--- Self in "13th Annual Young Hollywood Awards" (2011)
Mark Walton
- Born: Salt Lake City, Utah (10/24/1968)
- Known for:
--- Rhino in "Bolt" (2008)
--- Writer in "Tarzan" (1999)
--- Goosey Loosey in "Chicken Little" (2005)
Brian Wimmer
- Born: Orem, Utah (10/1/1959)
- Known for:
--- Do-Gooder in "A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge" (1985)
--- Richard in "Tank Girl" (1995)
--- Dr. Keith Ricks in "Flipper" (1995-1996)
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Jim Jansen
- Born: Salt Lake City, Utah (7/27/1945)
- Known for:
--- Dean Wilkins in "Water for Elephants" (2011)
--- Second Man in "Death Becomes Her" (1992)
--- Reverend Archie Skinner in "Gilmore Girls" (2002-2006)
Craig Richard Nelson
- Born: Salt Lake City, Utah (9/17/1947)
- Known for:
--- Willis Bell in "The Paper Chase" (1973)
--- Capt. Reedley Roots in "A Wedding" (1978)
--- Dr. Maas in "Three Women" (1977)
Darin Southam
- Born: Vernal, Utah (4/17/1979)
- Known for:
--- Zach in "127 Hours" (2010)
--- Mr. Everdeen in "The Hanging Tree" (2014)
--- Moroni in "Reign of Judges: Title of Liberty - Concept Short" (2018)
Alexander Cendese
- Born: Utah (11/29/1981)
- Known for:
--- Dylan Hess in "Elementary" (2016)
--- Chet Miner in "Supergirl" (2016)
--- J.C. Conway in "Public Morals" (2015)
